A common feeling for people who are juggling a lot in their life, like work, school, parenting, being involved in extracurricular activities, etc. is to get stressed and overwhelmed which can result in not knowing how to handle it all. When this feeling takes over, it’s best to follow a few basic steps to begin scaling the situation down to a manageable size so you can tackle everything one by one.
Get prepared – This may seem pretty basic, but the best way to get started is to get up, get out of bed, get dressed, have breakfast and formulate an action plan before you dive right in. Being mentally and physically ready will allow you to be more efficient and effective once you get started.
Organize your workspace – A clean and organized workspace really does make a difference. It will help your work go faster when you have easier access to the tools you need to do the job, and a neat and tidy workspace will put you in the right mentality to focus and finish.
To-do list – Making a to-do list is crucial to keep you on track at the tasks at hand and the order they need to be completed. Start by writing absolutely everything down that needs to be done sooner or later, and then prioritize the list by what needs to happen ASAP and what can be addressed after those items are completed. Once you have your divide and conquer plan in place, go through each task one by one.
These three basic steps will get you to the best place to finish everything you set out to do, including work tasks, home chores, errands and extra commitments.
Have you got too much stuff in your apartment than you know what to do with? It might be time to consider methods for getting rid of what you don’t need and organizing what you do. Here are some tools and tricks for elimination and consolidation to make life at home cool, calm and collected.
Before you can truly enjoy your apartment, it needs to be free of clutter. Clutter takes on a lot of forms. Clutter is something you have too much of, something you no longer use, or something that makes you feel disorganized. Removing these items will make your apartment feel relaxed and open. Not sure where your clutter is hiding? Junk drawers and hallway closets are a good place to start.
After you’ve removed all of your pre-existing clutter, work to make sure it never comes back. Clean the kitchen and bathroom every time you use them. Whenever you move an item, return it back to its rightful spot. The worst thing you can do is let the clutter grow. Try to make cleaning up clutter your daily routine.
This is a smart rule of thumb, courtesy of the fine folks at Apartment Therapy, especially for those conspicuous consumers among us. For whatever number of new products you bring into your home, discard an equal amount. For example, if you come home with three new shirts, donate or give away three of your old ones. This will ensure you don’t have a collection of clothing or household items you don’t use and that you have enough space for your new additions.
Rolling cart shelves are great organizing units to keep around the apartment for multiple uses. If you don’t have enough storage for Tupperware, shoes, towels, sheets, or practically anything in any room of your apartment, keep them in these convenient and portable shelves.
Need a full length mirror? Take advantage of that used space by getting a mirror cabinet that serves two purposes in one: a mirror and storage. Keep multi-use items in your apartment is a small space hack that will create extra storage while achieving its original function.
Find a bowl, table or corner that is your designated “needs” area. Every day, place your keys, phone and wallet in that same place and you will never misplace them again! At first you will have to remind yourself to put things in your “needs” area, but after long it will be habit.
For another great way to use space wisely and keep your belongings neatly stored to avoid clutter around your apartment, check out our blog on how to best use vertical space!
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A constant balancing act in life is making and sticking to a strong budget, which is very important, especially when you have your own apartment. It makes life a lot less stressful and more organized when you have a budget planned out. If you’re not sure where to start or how to get back to a good place financially, here are some key steps to consider.
Pay off debt – Debt is the most common plague to someone’s financial status, and the best way to eliminate that burden is to pay it off, whether you can in full or through an extended payment plan. Once debt is out of the equation, you can focus on investments and things you actually want to spend your money on, not to mention improve your credit score and avoid collections agencies.
Future Focused – Instead of a retrospective budget, or one where you analyze the previous month’s spend, plan out what your expenses will be ahead of time, and plan your spending accordingly. This will control how much you spend and what you spend it on, and avoid overdrawn charges or any financial surprises.
Keep a reserve – Whether it’s a savings account or a set amount you always leave in your checking account, make sure you have some back up money in case of emergencies or unexpected expenses. You never know when you might have car trouble, need to make quick travel plans or any number of things you’ll need access to extra money for.
Looking for a great apartment in the New Orleans area? 1st Lake has many attractive and convenient options!
We all have one – that little, or maybe big, spot in our apartment used for miscellaneous items, otherwise known as junk. Whether it’s a drawer, a closet, or even a room, it doesn’t have to be junky. It may be the designated place for things that don’t belong anywhere else, but it can still be organized.
This space allotted for random household items, if left unkempt for too long, can quickly become a big mess. If that’s the case, step one is to completely empty the contents and start fresh. Throw out anything that is trash, broken, or that you simply don’t have a need for anymore.
Once you’re left with what you want to keep, it’s time to start organizing. Most things end up in a junk drawer because they don’t make sense anywhere else in the apartment. Take those things and sort them according to function. Are they tools? Office supplies? Personal items like matches, magnets, chalk, pens, etc? Insert or install dividers into the drawer or closet and place the groups of items into the individual sections. That way you’ll be able to find what you need quicker instead of searching through a bunch of clutter for that one little piece.
Take these steps to turn your junk drawer into a tidy one for all those knickknacks that you might start using more once they’re organized, clearly visible and easier to find!
1st Lake’s apartments communities in Mandeville, River Ridge and Slidell Louisiana have plenty of cabinets and large closets that make organizing extraneous gadgets that much easier.
Looking for extra storage space? 1st Lake Properties can help you. Storage space – or the lack thereof – should definitely not be overlooked when considering renting an apartment and can prove to be a luxury amenity.
Fortunately, 1st Lake Properties has you covered when it comes to spacious closets and storage space. There are excellent 1st Lake Properties apartments in Metairie that offer roomy closets to hold your wardrobes for all seasons and then some. Check out the Lost Bayou and Surfrider apartment communities.
For those who have too many personal possessions than they know what to do with, there are great, convenient storage solutions. It all comes down to utilizing your available space. The bathroom is typically the smallest room in an apartment, and for some, holds the most items. Hanging racks and baskets are easy fixes to store toiletries and towels.
For the kitchen, magnets can be your friend. There are great magnetic spice racks – which can also be used to hold other small metal objects – that can be applied to cabinets to create more space. Cord control can become a difficult household issue to deal with, but with handy hanging organizers, you won’t have any problems.
1st Lake apartments not only have ample inside storage, but outside storage as well. Many of our apartment communities feature garages where you can park your car and store all the extra belongings that you do not need on a daily basis.
Brewster Commons in Covington features garages with extra large doors. The Villas of Laketown apartments in Kenner, just a stone’s throw away from New Orleans, offer outside storage space with their attached garages.
Still need extra space? Check out Metairie Mini Storage just off of Cleary in Metairie for additional storage space that you can rent on a monthly basis. Call today for monthly rentals: 504-455-8644.
1st Lake Properties | P. O. Box 73709 | Metairie, LA 70033 | info@1stlake.com
